Fattorini & Sons pink tourmaline 14k seed pearl necklace, circa 1875,complete with the original box.
Length:15 inches

The back of the box is marked: Fattorini & Sons Ltd, Diamond Merchants, Bradford

Davids notes: This is an extremely rare English 14k gold, seed pearl and pink tourmaline necklace in near mint condition in the original box by an Italian/English firm with a history in Bradford England going back to the mid 19th century.

Fattorini & Sons

(Wiki): Fattorini & Sons was a jewelry business established by a family of Italian immigrants who arrived in the British city of Leeds, in Yorkshire, England in the early 19th century.[1] Antonio Fattorini opened a shop in Harrogate to take advantage of seasonal trade in Harrogate in 1831, this business is today owned and run by descendants of the founders. In the 1850s he opened a shop in Bradford with two of his sons.

Fattorini and Sons also marketed sewing machines manufactured by Varley. Thomas Fattorini Ltd, emblematic jewellers, still manufacture specialist bespoke sports trophies, awards and medals today. Masonic regalia. For many years Fattorini and Sons were a prominent manufacturer of regalia for use in the different Orders of Freemasonry. Their factories and retail outlets in Yorkshire and Birmingham provided a regional competitor to the well-known London based regalia manufacturing companies. Many items of masonic regalia manufactured by Fattorini and Sons remain in current use, and bear the company's "signature-style" label.

The North Wales Society of Architects' Presidential Chain of Office was designed in 1954 by Fattorini and Sons of hallmarked sterling silver finished in polished hard gold plate and vitreous enamelled in three colours.

Manningham Rugby Club and Bradford City Football ClubThe family became heavily involved with Manningham Rugby Club in Bradford. Indeed, Tony Fattorini represented Manningham when the club became part of the breakaway from Rugby Union in 1895 which resulted in the birth of what we know today as the Rugby league. Manningham were the new game's first champions in 1896. After a period of decline Manningham changed games and became the football club Bradford City in 1903. Once again the Fattorinis were at the forefront of the switch to football, they also designed and made the FA cup which Bradford City won in 1911.[citation needed]TodayFattorini & Sons was sold to [Thomas Fattorini Ltd] in 1984. Thomas Fattorini Ltd and Fattorini & Sons were friendly rivals for many years, both businesses being owned and managed by descendants of Antonio Fattorini. Thomas Fattorini Ltd is still trading, and is located in the Birmingham Jewellery quarter, where it is managed by the 6th generation of the Fattorini family. The Harrogate jewellery shop is owned and run by the Tindalls, descendants via the female line.

The city of Bradford in the 19th century was a booming town in the North of England, north of London, just North of Liverpool and Manchester.

In the 1880s it was exploding with textile mill production and was part of the Industrial Revolution that helped to take England out of the 18th century economy and lifestyle. Bradford would have been one of the most fashionable places to live and work in this period, and the wealthy textile merchants of the middle and upper classes that resided there at that time would have been the envy of the county of West Yorkshire, that surrounded it.

Good condition overall.The indentations and depressions of the pink tourmaline stones at 5 points around the raised area in the center of the box show this was the original box meant for this particular necklace.